Religion briefs

LOS ANGELES • Los Angeles police say a security guard shot and killed a man wielding two Samurai swords on the grounds of a Scientology building in Hollywood.

Police say the unidentified man approached three guards around noon in the parking lot of the Scientology Celebrity Centre.

Detectives were questioning the guard to figure out the swordsman's motive and determine whether the shooting was justified.

A surveillance tape showed the man arriving at the center's parking lot in a red convertible, then approaching the guards with a sword in each hand.

A police detective told the Los Angeles Times the man was involved with the church a long time ago.

The Church of Scientology was established in 1945 by science fiction writer L.R. Hubbard. It teaches that technology can expand the mind and help solve problems and claims 10 million members around the world, including celebrity devotees Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

Vatican: Beatles music better than today's

VATICAN CITY • Vatican media are praising the Beatles' musical legacy and sounding philosophical about John Lennon's boast that the British band was more popular than Jesus.

A Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, recalls that Lennon's comment outraged many when he made it in 1966.

But it says that the remark can be written off now as the bragging of a young man wrestling with unexpected success.

The Beatles often dealt with issues of love, war, peace and justice through different phases of their personal and musical development and through several albums.

The Vatican's comments were triggered by last week's 40th anniversary of the Beatles "White Album."

The newspaper as well as Vatican Radio last week noted the anniversary, saying the album demonstrated how creative the Beatles were, compared with what it called the "standardized, stereotypical" songs being produced today.

Sex abuse claims divide Orthodox community

NEW YORK • It started as a radio program discussion about a taboo subject: child molestation among members of the insular world of Orthodox Jews.

New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind says since he broached the subject on his radio show this summer, dozens of people have come forward with stories about children being molested in the Orthodox community, which strictly follows Jewish law.

He says as many as four people a day have come to him over the past three months with painful accounts of secrets often kept for decades. He says more than 60 people have been accused.

The lawmaker, himself an Orthodox Jew, says he would eventually consider unmasking accused sexual predators but wants to focus now on setting up a broader framework for addressing the issue.

His campaign has set off a firestorm in the Orthodox community, where people are reluctant to involve secular authorities. One rabbi said he got death threats for speaking out.

Critics have said sex abuse claims are sometimes handled quietly in Orthodox rabbinical courts, rather than being reported to authorities.

Police negotiate with student outside temple

PROVO, UTAH • Police in Provo, Utah, say they had to negotiate for an hour with an armed and suicidal Brigham Young University student outside a Mormon temple before he surrendered.

Police responded to a report of a man with a handgun outside the Mormon temple.

They say they found a 25-year-old man with a gun who had just been disciplined by the church and was upset about it. Police say he pointed the firearm at his chest.

An officer and a friend of the man persuaded him to surrender. The student was taken to Utah Valley Medical Center for an evaluation.

Naked-jogging priest gets probated sentence

GREELEY, Colo. • A Roman Catholic priest convicted of indecent exposure for jogging naked around a track at a Colorado high school has been sentenced to five years probation.

The Rev. Robert Whipkey must also complete 100 hours of community service and register as a sex offender under the sentence handed down Thursday in Weld County, Colo.

Whipkey was arrested about an hour before sunrise on June 22, 2007.

The Denver archdiocese said Whipkey was placed on leave last year. He had officiated at three parishes.

Dressed in a blue shirt and slacks, Whipkey told Judge Timothy Kerns that the conviction has ruined his life and that he is now unemployed.

Schools asked to keep night free for church

ST. CLOUD, MINN. • Clergy in St. Cloud, Minn., are asking coaches and school activity directors to maintain a longtime tradition of keeping Wednesday nights free for church.

Nearly 50 religious leaders, including Roman Catholic Bishop John Kinney, signed a letter reminding schools of church events on Wednesday nights.

Some clergy say sports and other activities have recently been causing a conflict.

Nap damages organ pipes at historic church

NORTHAMPTON, MASS. • The restoration of a Massachusetts church's 130-year-old organ has been delayed because four delicate pipes were damaged when a visitor took a nap on them.

The man apparently mistook the pipes for rolled-up rugs and slept on them. He is a homeless man who was in the church for a job counseling meeting.

The congregation traces its history to the 17th century, and was home to 18th century preacher Jonathan Edwards.